The invention relates to a closure for a passenger car cover, particularly of a passenger car.
A known lock of the initially mentioned type (German Patent Document DE 93 02 292 U) comprises a housing arranged on the top side and having an operating element and also comprises a swivellable locking hook. In the locking position of the lock, the locking hook interacts with a connecting link mounted on the windshield frame disposed in front, whereas the operating element formed by an elongated handle extends with its free end away from the windshield frame toward the rear.
This arrangement has the disadvantage that, for reaching behind the free end of the operating element, a relatively high gap is provided between the bottom side of the top and the operating element, as the result of which the operating element projects relatively far downward in the direction of the passenger compartment.
In the case of tall vehicle occupants, the danger therefore exists that the operating element may project into the head impact area. In addition, in the closed position of the lock, in addition to the elongated handle, the housing and the locking hook are visible from the vehicle occupant side, which is disturbing for visual reasons.
It is an object of the invention to further develop a lock for fastening a top on an adjacent body-side frame such that the lock, in its closed position, does not project downward over the adjoining top contour facing the vehicle occupant compartment and, in this position, the lock has an inconspicuous appearance, but, during the opening operation of the lock, the operating element takes up a position which is favorable with respect to the gripping.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing a lock having a locked position in which first and second operating elements of the lock are arranged in a sunk manner in a recess of the top frame, the two operating elements interacting such that, only after the first operating element has been operated, will the second operating element be moved into a lowered gripping position.
The principal advantages achieved by means of the invention are that, as the result of the sunk arrangement of the lock having two operating elements in a recess of the top frame in the closed position of the lock, no parts exist which project with respect to the top frame and which project into the head impact area of a vehicle occupant.
By operating the first operating element, the second operating element is moved into a lowered gripping position so that, during the opening or closing operation, a good handling is ensured. The first operating element is constructed as a pressure plate which is surrounded by a plate-shaped bow section of a bow-type grip forming the second operating element.
By way of a detent device having a simple construction, the locking hook is additionally locked next to the over-dead-center location in the locked position. The additional locking can be released only by operating the pressure plate.
Furthermore, the bow-type grip is locked in its folded-back open position so that it can be used as a pull grip for the manual displacement of the top into the rear-side deposited position. The center lock ensures a simple one-hand operation. In the gripping position of the bow-type grip, the locking between the connecting link and the locking hook is still fully operative.
In the locked position, the two operating elements extend surface-flush with respect to one another and to the adjoining inner contours of the top frame and of the connecting link. In the locked position of the lock, no projecting parts exist on the interior side of the top and the two operating elements, virtually form the interior lining in sections.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.